Brookneal climate

Brookneal Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Brookneal, 2.1 km from Brookneal, elevation 408 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Brookneal. A median date has an even chance of a later freeze in spring, or an earlier one in fall.

The last spring freeze typically comes around April 17 and the first fall freeze around October 24, a growing season of about 188 days.

Median at 36°F
last April 29, first October 15
Median at 32°F
last April 17, first October 24
Median at 28°F
last April 4, first November 1

Last freeze in spring

The chance of a later freeze than the date shown. At 10 percent, one spring in ten still freezes after the date; planting after the 10 percent date for 32°F is the cautious choice.

Threshold10%20%30%40%50%60%70%80%90%
36°FMay 15May 10May 5May 2Apr 29Apr 26Apr 22Apr 18Apr 14
32°FMay 5Apr 29Apr 24Apr 20Apr 17Apr 14Apr 11Apr 7Apr 2
28°FApr 19Apr 13Apr 10Apr 7Apr 4Apr 1Mar 30Mar 26Mar 20
24°FApr 6Apr 1Mar 30Mar 26Mar 22Mar 19Mar 16Mar 12Mar 5
20°FMar 27Mar 20Mar 16Mar 13Mar 9Mar 5Feb 28Feb 24Feb 14
16°FMar 17Mar 10Mar 4Feb 28Feb 24Feb 16Feb 10Feb 4Jan 26

First freeze in fall

The chance of an earlier freeze than the date shown. At 10 percent, one fall in ten freezes before the date.

Threshold10%20%30%40%50%60%70%80%90%
36°FOct 3Oct 7Oct 10Oct 13Oct 15Oct 18Oct 21Oct 24Oct 28
32°FOct 10Oct 14Oct 18Oct 22Oct 24Oct 27Oct 29Nov 1Nov 5
28°FOct 17Oct 23Oct 28Oct 31Nov 1Nov 4Nov 7Nov 10Nov 15
24°FOct 28Nov 1Nov 5Nov 8Nov 11Nov 14Nov 18Nov 24Dec 1
20°FNov 7Nov 13Nov 18Nov 23Nov 27Dec 1Dec 4Dec 9Dec 20
16°FNov 22Nov 30Dec 3Dec 8Dec 15Dec 22Dec 30Jan 5Jan 14

Growing season length

Days between the last spring and first fall freeze at each threshold, with the chance of a season at least that long.

Threshold10%20%30%40%50%60%70%80%90%
36°F187181177172169165160155148
32°F208201197193188185180175168
28°F231224219214211207203198190
24°F259250244239234229225219213
20°F293282274268261256251245236
16°F329318309303297290282276265

How often it gets that cold

The share of years with at least one night at or below each temperature.

36°F or colder
100% of years
32°F or colder
100% of years
28°F or colder
100% of years
24°F or colder
100% of years
20°F or colder
100% of years
16°F or colder
99% of years

Degree days

A degree day is one degree of the daily mean temperature beyond a base, for one day. Heating degree days count cold (the fuel a house burns), cooling degree days heat, growing degree days the warmth a crop needs; each crop has its own base.

Heating degree days, base 65°F
4,329
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
1,245
Growing degree days, base 40°F
6,572
Growing degree days, base 45°F
5,186
Growing degree days, base 50°F
3,971
Growing degree days, base 55°F
2,915
Growing degree days, base 60°F
2,007

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January902012
February731016
March595371
April28622227
May10198465
June12249687
July1362826
August2328790
September48157560
October27926243
November569156
December805017

What this means

NOAA computes these from the daily lows at the station over 1991-2020, fitting the dates of each year's last and first freeze to a distribution, so a date can be stated at any level of risk. 36°F is a frost risk for tender plants on a clear, calm night, since the ground cools below the air above it; 32°F is a freeze; 28°F is a hard freeze that kills most annuals.

The station is 2.1 km from Brookneal. Low ground, valleys and open fields freeze earlier and later than a town center or a hillside.

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Sources

NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals, 1991-2020, annual and seasonal normals for station USC00441082 (Brookneal). Public domain.